Candy-making system and method



Oct. 14, 1930. D. G. sTEELY CANDY MAKING SYSTEM AND IETHOD Filpd June l0, 1927 mmm fnvenoz;

Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DALE G. STEELY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO W. F. SCHRAFFT & SONS CORPORATION, F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS CANDYJVIAKINGrr SYSTEM ANDA METHOD Application led .Tune 10,

This invention relates to the making of confections and has particular reference to the manufacture of peanut candy and the like.

Peanut candy comprises essentially roast-` ed peanuts mixed with a syrup, and sometimes containing other ingredients,` and made into many shapes. It usually is brittle although itis made plastic, like taiiy.

In the commercial manufacture of peanut candy, roasted peanuts and syrup are stirred and thoroughly mixed together in a mixing kettle and the batch is then poured onto a cooling plate'and rolled down to the desired degree ot thickness and is cut up into small pieces. Peanut candy is also made in small batches, but not as a large-scale manufacturing process, by placing the raw or unroasted peanuts into the syrup and heating the mass until the peanuts are roastedQ Candy made in this manner can be identified by the color of the candv and the presence of skins on the peanuts. This method produces the best grade of peanut candy although it cannot he 2 5 thick With peanuts because of stirring difiiculties, and can not be carried out on a large scale.

Y 40' to a high 'quality of peanutcandysince the re-heating ot the roasted peanuts greatly im-` pairs the flavor. Furthermorma roasted pea- Y nut is quite a good heat insulator, so that it is diil'icult to heat the peanuts throughout to# sucha high temperature that 'the syrup-Will not be'chilled. -r

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved processthat can loe-operated on a large scale foruthe'manufactured-peanut candy of high qualityhavinga materially It is desirable to have as many peanuts as 1927. serial no ie'fgesa.I

Vhigher percentage of peanuts than is obtainroasted peanuts is preserved since they are mixed with the syrup immediately after being roasted and do not have to be reheated With a conseouent loss of flavor.

VA yet further object of the invention is a Vcontinuous process, as distinguished from the had an opportunity to heretofore usual batch process, of making Y peanut candy' wherein a continuous stream of hot and freshly-roasted peanuts and a continuous'stream' of hot cooked syrupV are mixed together in a mixer that is adaptedlto discharge a continuous'stream of soft hot peanutcandv onto a conveyorbelt or other repository for the candy.

' A yet further object is generally to improve candy making `orocessesand systems. Fig. l is a diagrammatic representation of the' apparatus Vot the improved system arranged vfor Vthe performance of theV invention.

ig. 2 is a detail illustrating a modified forni (it-continuous melter.` y

Asfshownin Fig. 1, the apparatus of the system includes a VmixerlOtor the cooked l syrup `and the hot and freshly roastedpeanuts. vSaid mixer comprises a long heated horizontal shell having an entrance 12 at one end and at theitop thereof for the streams of syrup andpeanuts and having Van outlet ,'14 at the .bottomy and at' the other end thereof ffrom which a continuousstream ofthe mixed and sott or plastic Vmass of candy flows onto a conveyor'l. Said conveyor may. comprise a travelling metal belt which is adapted to cool `the candy-mass and may .pass betweenv vertically-adjustable;rolls 18` by which the mass is rolled down to someV desired'dimensions. fThe thinsheet subsequently may be tgl cut into various shapes in any suitable manner not necessarily shown.

The mixer is provided with a shaft 2O eX tended longitudinally therethrough and provided with a series of blades 22 that are adapted to stir the mass of peanuts and syrup and thoroughly miX the thick mass. Said blades are inclined in such a manner as to impel the mass from the entrance to the discharge opening of the mixer while at the same time stirring the mass. Said shaft may be driven continuously in any suitable manner as by a belt passed over the pulley 2d fixed to said shaft. Suitable means, not shown, is provided to heat the mixer.

The syrup is or may be melted in a continuous melter comprising a pair of heated kettles 26, each of which is provided with an outlet pipe 28 at the bottom thereof and a valve 30 in said pipe. The melter is so operated that a stream of syrup is flowing out of the outlet pipe of one kettle while syrup is being made in the other kettle and syrup is adapted to be drawn from this kettle upon the emptying of the first kettle. The method of operation is such as to keep up a continuous and approximately constant fiow of syrup from the melter.

ln Fig. 2 a modified form of continuous melter is shown. A. single melting` kettle 26a is employed which is adapted to discharge into va storage tank 27 which may be heated if desirable. Yrlhe syrup in the tank is pumped by a continuously-operatedpump 29 into the top of the cooker 32a thus to maintain a uniform flow of syrup into the cooker. Syrup is delivered to the tank 27 from the kettle 26LL before the contents of the tank are exhaustedso that there is always syrup in the tank.

The syrup streams from the melter are adapted to pass into a continuous syrup cooker 32 located below the melter and having an entrance Se into which the pipes 28 are disposed to direct the syrupv streams lowing therefrom. Said cooker comprises a vertical shell having a vspiral ramp '36 therein over and down which the syrup is adapted to liow in a thin stream.' YSaid ramp is of metal and is hollow and` steam is adapted to flow therethrouglrfrom the steam inlet 38 to the steam outlet ,40 thereby to heat the ramp and cook the syrup. The cooked syrup is adapted to flow in a a continuous stream out of the outlet 42 of the cooker into the entrance l2' ofthe mixer, which entrance 1s disposed beneath saidI outlet. The continuous melter andv continuous cooker are well known in the art and need not ber further described.

rllhe system also includes a continuous roaster 44: for the' raw peanuts. Said roaster is described and claimed in my co-pending lmint allapheation; with Frederick W. 4Blake roaster, as here shown, includes a long vertical tube 46 which is open at the top and the bottom and the open top is enlarged to provide a hopper 48 in which a supply of raw peanuts is adapted to be maintained. Said tube is surrounded by a shell 50 having an inlet 52 at the bottom for heated gases and an outlet 54 at the top for the used gases. The het gases may be provided by any suitable form of heating apparatus not necessarily shown and are adapted to circulate about the tube 46 and roast the column of peanuts therein contained. A continuously-moving conveyor belt 5G is disposed below and is spaced a small distance from the lower open end of said tube 46 and is adapted to support the column of peanuts therein. Said conveyor beltis adapted to move slowly beneath said tube and to carry off the hot roasted peanuts. The speed of movement of' the belt adapted to be such that the peanuts are caused to be thoroughly roasted when they pass onto the belt from the open discharge end of the tube d6. Raw peanuts are adapt ed to be deposited in the hopper 48 in such manner as to maintain a supply of peanuts in the roaster so that the roasted peanuts can be withdrawn in a continuous manner from the roaster.

rlhe peanuts preferably are roasted in the shells as this method produces the best grade of roasted peanuts. It is necessary. therefore. to remrwethe shells before mixing the peanuts with the svrup. To this end, the hot roasted peanuts. with the shells thereon, are caused to be discharged in a continuous manner from the conveyor belt 56 of the roaster into the entrance 58 of a shucking machine 60 which may be disposed beneath said belt. Said shucking machine is well known in 'the art and comprises a. casing having internallycontained poweroperated mechanism driven bv the shaft 62 and pulley 64 thatoperates on the peanuts to remove the shells and the 'skins thereof. The shelled peanuts'are discharged in a continuous mannenfrom the dischaii'ge opening 66 of the shucking machine before they have had an opportunity to'cool to any deleterious degree. The stream of hot shelled peanuts isl `guided byY a chute 68 into the entrance l2 of the continuous mixer. wherein they are mixed with'the syrup in the' manner aforesaid. Peanuts are roasted both in the shell and after they have been shelled and, in commerce more peanuts are roasted after they have been shelled, than in the shell.` Since the peanuts' are-considered to have a better flavor when roasted in the shell, however, the process` has been so de'- vscribed herein although the present invention is workable regardless as tolli-ow' the4v nuts are roasted.

The system thus arrangedV provides for' the mixing, in a continuous manner,` of the hot freshly roasted peanuts with the syrup bellO fore the peanuts have cooled deleteriously and thus provides a candy which is ythick with peanuts of unimpaired fiavor.

W'hile the invention has been' specifically described in connection with peanut candy, it is apparent that some nut other vthan a peanut also could be used.

I claim:

l. That step in the process of making nut candy from roasted nuts, Which consists in introducing the nuts, When they are free from shell and are still hot as a result of being roasted, into hot syrup.

2. That step in the process of making peanut candy from roasted and shell-free peanuts, which consists in mixing the shell-free peanuts, While they are still hot as a result of being roasted, with hot syrup.

3. The method of making peanut candy Which consists in roasting raw peanuts with the shells on, removing the shells from the hot roasted peanuts, and mixing the shelled roasted peanuts before they havecooled deleteriously With hot syrup. p

4. The method of making nut candy Which consists in roasting ravr nuts, shelling the hot roasted nuts, and mixing the shell-free roasted nuts With hot syrup While the roasted nuts are still hot from the roasting process.

5. The method of making nut candyV in a continuous manner which consists in providing a stream of hot syrup, and a stream of hot nuts, combining the streams, stirring the materials in the combined streams, and cooling the mixture. Y l p Y 6. The method of making nut Vcandyin a continuous manner Which consists in providing a stream of hot syrup, and a stream ofhot nuts, combining the streams, stirring and mixing the materials in the combined stream, and cooling and coiigealing the mixture While maintaining the flow of the combined stream.

7. The steps in the method of making peanut candy in a. continuous manner which consists in providing a streamV of hot syrup, and a stream of roasted peanuts Which are hot as a result of their being roasted and are free from shell, combining the streams, and stirring and intermixingthe peanuts'V and the syrup in the combined stream.

8. The method of making'peanut candy Which consists in roasting peanuts and removing the shells therefrom in a continuous manner, cooking syrup in a continuous Ymanner, and continuously mixingr the roasted peanuts and the cooked syrup.

9. The method of making peanut candy Which consists Vin roasting peanuts and removing the shells therefrom in a continuous manner, cooking syrup in a continuous manner, continuously mixing the roasted peanuts and the cooked syrup and depositing the mixture in a continuous manner upon a moving conveyer.

l0. A candymaking system comprising a continuous syrup melter, a continuous syrup cooker fed from said melter and arranged to discharge a continuous stream of cooked syrup therefrom, a continuous nut roaster arranged to receive ravv nuts and to discharge a continuous stream of hot roasted nuts, and a mixer arranged to receive the continuous stream of cooked syrup and the continuous stream of hot roasted nuts and to intermix both streams and discharge a continuous stream of the mixture.

ll. A candy making system comprising a continuous syrup melter, a continuous syrup cooker fed from said melter and arranged to discharge a continuous stream of cooked syrup therefrom, a continuous nut roaster arranged to receive raw nuts and to discharge a continuous stream of hot roasted nuts, a mixer arranged to receive the continuous stream of cooked syrup and the continuous .stream of hot roasted nuts and to intermix both streams and discharge a continuous stream of the mixture and means to cool the stream from the mixture.

y l2. A candy making system comprising a continuous syrup melter, a continuous syrup cooker fed from said melter and arranged to discharge a continuous stream of cooked syrup therefrom,arcontinuous nut roaster arranged to receive raW nuts and to discharge a continuous stream of hot roasted nuts, a mixer arranged to receive the continuous stream of cooked syrup and the continuous stream of hot roasted nuts and to intermix Yboth streams and discharge a continuous stream of the mixture, and a conveyor for the stream fromrthe mixture.

y '13. A candy making system comprising a Vcontinuous Vsyrup melter, a continuous syrup cooker fed from said melter and arranged to discharge a continuous stream of cooked `syrup therefrom, a continuous peanut roaster and Vdischarge a continuous stream of the mixture In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

DALE G. STEELY. 

